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2014 Hot Jobs: Nursing and Allied Health

2014 Hot Jobs: Nursing and Allied Health

The 2014 outlook for nursing and allied health professionals looks particularly bright, especially for registered nurses, pharmacists and medical assistants, as the number of job openings continue to outpace the supply of these professionals.

With the individual mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act having gone live in January 2014, requiring all U.S. citizens to have health insurance, the demand for nursing professionals has increased – and is only expected to continue rising. Salaries in these positions can go upwards of $112,000 a year. High demand and accelerated career paths are what make this year's 2014 Hot Jobs list in nursing and allied health very exciting.

#1 Registered Nursing Jobs

Registered nursing is an exploding career, earning it the top spot in our 2014 Hot Jobs list for nursing and allied health. According to a recent CareerBuilder supply and demand report, there are 174,000 job seekers in demand for nearly 878,000 active job openings.

Registered nurses who earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) will experience an even more favorable job market, as many employers are becoming more selective in choosing nurses with a BSN over an associate’s degree.

According to CareerBuilder, 31 percent of registered nurses have an associate’s degree, 67 percent have a bachelor’s degree and over 20 percent have a post-graduate degree.

The median salary range for nursing jobs is $66,000 a year, depending on a variety of factors. The most in-demand skills for nurses currently include electronic medical records and documentation skills, as well as nurses with OR and ICU experience. Strong demand from top employers and competitive salary make RNs the top nursing and allied health job for 2014.

#2 Pharmacist Jobs

Expiring patents, a rise in generic drug development and a growing global population are making demand for pharmacists skyrocket. The pharma industry is expected to reach $345 billion in the U.S. alone, with the global industry projected to be worth more than $1 trillion in 2014.

Pharmacists are generally required to have a Degree in Pharmacy, and even more desired is a Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD). Two of the most common job titles for pharmacists include medical science liaison (MSL) or clinical research associate (CRA). According to a recent CareerBuilder supply and demand report, there are currently over 41,000 more available jobs than active candidates.

CareerBuilder also reports the median salary for pharmacists is $112,000. Thirty-seven percent of candidates have a bachelor’s degree, and over 50 percent have a doctorate. Professionals can differentiate themselves with managed care experience, in-depth knowledge of Medicare and by being bilingual in English and Spanish.

#3 Medical Assistant Jobs

Medical assisting is a great career path for those wanting to work in the growing healthcare industry, but do not want to pursue a lot of additional education. According to CareerBuilder, 36 percent of candidates have their high school diploma, 26 percent have their associate’s degree and 28 percent have a bachelor’s degree.

Medical assistants work with physicians and other healthcare professionals and carry out both medical tasks like taking vitals and collecting specimens and perform administrative tasks like maintaining records. Medical assistants are required to have experience with electronic medical records (EMR).

There is a strong demand for medical assistants, with there being almost 31,000 more job openings than there are candidates nationwide. In today’s market, employers are often looking for medical assistants with two or more years of experience in a specialty area.

Being bilingual in English and Spanish is also among the most in-demand job skill for this space. Medical assistants have a median salary of $28,500 with the top quartile earning $32,250 a year. All salary quotes are dependent on a variety of factors, including location, experience and facility.

How to be Successful in Nursing and Allied Health in 2014:

“Nursing continues to be a profession for which there is very strong demand; demand that will only increase in both the short- and long-term future. This is not only due to healthcare reform, but also due to the chronic and growing nursing shortage, the aging population, as well as technology advancements which have led to an increase in available medical procedures,” said Steve McMahan, President of Randstad Healthcare. “There continues to be a need for critical care and emergency nurses and recently we have seen a significant uptick in the need for labor and delivery and neo-natal intensive care nurses. In allied health, specifically, there are also many great career opportunities, including a need for medical coders who are especially critical now for major and ongoing government mandated conversion projects. In both nursing and allied health, clinical professionals who also have strong technology skills are especially sought after.”